Rival and Lover
by Asukai Haruka
Summary: My very first fanfic, based on the song Akatsuki Arrival, oneshot. Miku and Luka are friends and rivals due to a family feud between the houses of Megurine and Hatsune. When they fall in love with one another, nothing good can possibly happen. Their hands, once so close, are now unable to reach one another...


A/N: I'm new here and I don't really know how things work, but I appreciate if you will leave me a review on how you felt about this story when you're done reading it. Thank you in advance!

**Miku's POV**

We used to compete together, you and I, at the littlest things. From tests to sports to arts to music to popularity, we competed and compared all the way, jealous of the other. Still, we were happy; we just wanted to be together. This competition resulted from the age-old family feud between the Megurine and Hatsune families, we wanted nothing to do with it, but we had no choice. Side by side, we walked, wondering why we had to live like this. Laughing despite all the odds stacked against us, we continued racing one another endlessly. In school, we were known as LukaMiku in one breath, for we rarely separated outside of classes, even though you were four years ahead.

"Why, why, why?" You were always asking questions, "Why do we have to live this way, Miku? I just want to be your friend!"

I had no answers for you, I did not know myself why life was this way for us. Had we done something wrong in our previous lives? Maybe we have, hence this punishment to be forever competing against the one we love. Unable to scream our thoughts to our families, we were trapped like butterflies in a jar, completely helpless. Still, we forged on believing in one another without reason. Our faith in each other was unquestionable, we always believed the other would always be there and were never once proven wrong. Life was bad, but bearable.

Until this happened. "Miku, I love you." Your confession came as a complete surprise to me, but I managed to react the way I wanted to. Looking into your teary, frightened blue eyes, I told you "I love you too, Luka." You kissed me, surprising me even further, but I liked it. It was the best day of our lives, but we should have known that such profound happiness simply meant they were going to take something from you.

_*Flashback*_

"_Hatsune Miku, get down here!" I have never heard father sound so angry, should he not be pleased? I beat Luka in the Senior category writing competition earlier this morning. I head down obediently, it is probably some matter about Luka getting in the newspapers for a beauty pageant again, I have absolutely no interest in those kinds of things._

"_You kissed Megurine Luka," my father hisses upon sight of me, and my heartbeat triples in speed. How did he find out…? I try to act nonchalant, grateful for my acting lessons, but before I can feign innocence, father tosses a photograph on the table before me. It clearly shows Luka and me kissing. With no possible way of denying, I can only stare down at my hands and await father's explosion._

"_It is bad enough that you're a lesbian, now you're in love with a Megurine as well?!" Father looks like he is about to get a heart attack, he should watch out. Not that I particularly care if he dies or not. His voice raises in volume as he continues, "You will stay in your room without food until you learn to repent your sinful ways! Sebastian, remove all communication devices in Miku's room, NOW!"_

_Sebastian, the butler, scurries off to carry out my father's order. As an experienced butler, he can obviously tell that both my father and I will be doing a little yelling. I take a deep breath just as Sebastian leaves, and say coldly, "So this is what you use to judge your only child, something she has no control over?"_

_Father snarls, "You have chosen the path of sin-"_

_Annoyed, I cut in fiercely, "Chose?! We can't choose who we fall in love with! What am I, Cupid?!"_

_Father is not amused, and shouts for Kenji, one of the servants, to take me up to my room. I hear the lock click behind me, and I know that life has just gotten very difficult for me. But I will not stop loving Luka for him, she loves me too, we can be happy together. Why must I let some quarrel between our great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandparents get in the way of our happiness? Those people are dead and buried, can they still be happy? Luka and I are alive NOW, and that is what matters!_

_For days, I waste away in my room, feeling hunger gnaw at me. I never knew that hunger could cast such a pall over my life; I am unable to sleep most nights because of the sharp pangs. Every moment I am awake, I wish I were asleep instead. It is the thought of Luka that keeps me going on, hoping I will be able to outlast my father's anger. But the days draw on into a full week, and I am probably hallucinating half of my surroundings by now. I see Luka everywhere, I can hear her laughter, I think I am going crazy._

_The week draws on to eight days, nine days, ten days. I am at my limit, I can barely tell the difference between being awake and dreaming, I feel hungry in them both. But I will not repent; I would rather starve to death here then live a life without Luka. I think of killing myself to cease my suffering, but the hope that I can outlast my father's anger stops me from doing that. I want to see Luka again, but as the days draw on, I highly doubt I will. It is probably the twelfth day that I decide to write Luka a letter in case I do not make it out. My hands are shaky, I can barely support the plastic pen in my grip, but I put all my energy into it._

"_Dear Luka,_

_I am sorry to have to leave you so suddenly. I love you, I want to be with you, but it is not possible. I am trapped alone now; we are no longer in the same jar. We used to compete at everything, selfishly straining to be ahead so we could look back at the other and laugh, but in the end we spent most days side by side. Asking "why?" as we walked on this endless racetrack, we were as happy as we could get._

_I know you will feel that no one will be able to replace me, but I am sure someone will someday. Until that day, keep chasing your dreams like you did when I was with you, even though I am no longer there. Try your best to reach it, okay? It will be worth it, don't look back, especially not now. You're already halfway there, so don't give in yet! I know it will be hard, we wanted to be together forever; we believed we would always be there for each other, but that is not possible now. Even if you hold out your hand, I cannot reach it anymore._

_Luka, it is alright to forget my existence. If it will make living easier for you, then do it. I will not hold it against you, I promise._

_It looks like I win again, Luka. You can chase me forever but you won't be able to catch up here. I will die before you; you are four years older so you can never beat me. I am sorry it has to end this way, Luka, if I had any say in this, things would be different. But I don't._

_Maybe someday, we will be reborn, and we can find happiness then. I love you._

_Miku."_

_I fold the letter and write a shaky "To Luka" on it, placing it by my side and curling up, suddenly feeling immensely sleepy. The pangs of hunger are sharp, but the fog of exhaustion is too thick to be penetrated. I close my eyes, taking light, shallow breaths, until I slip off into eternal rest._

The very day I died was the day you came over, sick with worry and unable to believe my father's excuses any longer. You were inconsolable, I saw you struggle not to kill yourself because of what I wrote to you, and it made me happy that I managed to write that letter to you. Into my cold hair you whispered, "I'll move forward for you, Miku. It'll be hard, but since you want me to…"

I smiled, but it was one full of tears. You continued shakily, "I will never forget you, Hatsune Miku, my best rival…" I echoed that though you could not hear me, and since that day I have watched over you. For months you were a crying mess, but as the years passed the pain dulled. You made friends, I know them all as well as you do. Meiko and Lily, your best friends, Gumi, the relaxed and lazy one, Neru and Haku, the interesting couple made up of troll and alcoholic, Gakupo, the samurai fellow who had a huge crush on you… I was happy to see you so happy, but still you carried sadness with you. Even though it hurt you, you kept remembering me, you rejected Gakupo and told him you were in love with me, you never let me go.

Decades have passed now, Luka, your amazing pink hair has turned white, yet you have no lover, no children, and though you forget many things you never forget me. I am right by your side, Luka, do you know that? I always have been. Soon, it will be time for you to join me in this world without prejudice, where we no longer have to be rivals but can be lovers. Take your time, Luka, I have waited so long, I can surely wait a few more years.


End file.
